Just as Kotomi Izumi stepped into the Yuigahama residence and was taking off her shoes in the entryway, the sound of small footsteps came running across the floor.
Both Kotomi and Yui Yuigahama immediately recognized those familiar footsteps—but their reactions were completely different.
Yui's face froze. She had been eagerly looking forward to enjoying some private time alone with Kotomi, but the little "third wheel" had appeared far sooner than expected.
Meanwhile, Kotomi had just finished untying her shoelaces and setting her shoes aside. The corners of her lips curved into a gentle, motherly smile—like a mom waiting outside a kindergarten for her child to come out, crouching down with open arms, ready to embrace her little girl.
"Penguin Onee-chan!"
Sure enough, the moment Yuka reached the last step of the stairs, she leapt straight into Kotomi's arms like a little flying squirrel.
Kotomi caught her in time, holding her securely. Then she gently tapped Yuka's forehead with her fingers—not too hard, but just enough—and said in a serious tone:
"Do you know that was dangerous? Even if there's just one step left, you can't jump down or leap like that, okay? If you got hurt, your mom, your sister, and I would all be really sad."
"Uu... I know I was wrong. I'm sorry, Penguin Onee-chan," Yuka mumbled softly, lowering her head and burying it against Kotomi's chest.
"Knowing your mistake and correcting it makes you a good girl," Kotomi said, her tone softening as she patted Yuka's head. Then she reached into one of the bags that Yui had set down earlier and took out a box of chocolate cookies. "Your sister said you've been working hard memorizing English words today? That's amazing! Good kids who study well deserve a reward. Do you like this reward?"
Yuka froze for a second when she saw the box of her favorite chocolate cookies. Then her big eyes lit up with excitement. She carefully took it from Kotomi's hands, hugged it tightly to her chest, and shouted happily:
"Cookies! Chocolate cookies! Thank you, Penguin Onee-chan!!!"
After saying that, Yuka set down the box, wrapped her arms around Kotomi's neck, and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.
Watching from the side, Yui looked so jealous she could die.
Little Yuka noticed her silly big sister's expression and could only sigh inwardly. This hopeless sister... I'm practically giving you a demonstration here, and instead of getting inspired, you're actually jealous? Totally hopeless!
Yuka grumbled internally.
She still didn't know that Kotomi Izumi and her sister Yui were already dating. She still thought that her sister liked Penguin Onee-chan but didn't have the courage to confess.
To Yuka, it didn't matter whether Kotomi became her sister's girlfriend or her new mom—either way was fine, as long as it was Kotomi. But since there was still a chance now, she decided she'd give one final assist.
Take the hint, Onee-chan! This is my last time helping you. Mom, you too—come on! Let's see whether I'll end up calling Penguin Onee-chan "Mom" or "Sister-in-law" in the future... Yuka thought, feeling as though she were worrying about the happiness of the entire household.
Yuka was quick to act. Though she wanted to stay in Kotomi's arms a little longer, she realized that if she didn't leave soon, her "assist plan" couldn't be carried out. After all, Penguin Onee-chan's arms were so warm and comfy that the longer she stayed, the less she'd want to move.
For a brief moment, Yuka almost decided to just stay put and let her sister handle things on her own.
Fortunately, she managed to pull herself together before she could get too comfortable. She left Kotomi's embrace on her own, giving the two of them a chance to have some private time together—and even came up with a perfect excuse.
"Penguin Onee-chan! I've already memorized all my words! But Teacher Shiro from kindergarten just called and said I have to learn a few more! I'm gonna go study now!"
Yuka had truly done her best to invent the perfect reason to leave, all for the sake of helping Kotomi and her sister have time alone together. Of course, if she had stayed in Kotomi's arms even one minute longer, that resolve might've melted away completely.
"So much hard work! Then big sister won't bother you while you study, okay? Keep it up. If there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask me—or your sister. Last time during midterms, her English score was second in her whole class," Kotomi Izumi said, gently rubbing Yuka's soft cheeks to encourage her.
In truth, even before Yuka finished her sentence earlier, Kotomi had already realized that the little girl had made the whole thing up—just to give her and Yui some alone time together.
My sweet little Yuka... how can you be so adorable? Kotomi thought warmly, her heart melting with affection.
It wasn't that Yuka's story had any obvious flaws. In fact, considering her age, being able to make up such a convincing excuse on the spot was already quite impressive.
But she had overlooked one small detail.
The kindergarten only had two contact numbers on file—one for the house phone and one for the parents' cellphones. On weekends, if the teachers ever called, they'd always try the home phone first. Only if no one answered would they then call the parents.
Yet Yuka had said that "Teacher Shiro just called." But since Mrs. Yuigahama was still asleep, the only phone that could've been answered was the home phone—placed right on top of the shoe cabinet near the entrance.
And that phone was too high up for Yuka to reach. Even if she stood on tiptoe, there was no way she could have touched it, let alone picked it up.
The only small chair in the house that Yuka could move around had been accidentally broken by Kotomi the last time she visited. Although Kotomi had bought a new one online, the Amazon delivery still hadn't arrived yet.
Frustrated, Kotomi had eventually canceled the order and bought a new child's chair from a nearby furniture shop—but she'd forgotten to bring it with her today.
So, yes—she had instantly caught Yuka's fib. But instead of being upset, she was deeply touched. Yuka was just too thoughtful. Without being told anything, she had taken the initiative to excuse herself, giving Kotomi and Yui some time alone.
Kotomi suddenly felt like running back to the supermarket to buy Yuka several more boxes of chocolate cookies as a reward.
After Yuka left clutching her cookies, Kotomi went to wash her hands in the bathroom. Then she followed Yui upstairs to her room on the second floor.
Rumble...!
Before they even reached the top of the stairs, the low rumble of thunder echoed outside.
"Thunder? But it was perfectly sunny just a moment ago," Kotomi murmured, frowning slightly as she glanced toward the window. The sky, which had been clear blue just minutes ago, had suddenly turned dark and heavy.
"Eh? Kotomi, didn't you check the weather forecast this morning?" Yui asked.
"I don't really have that habit. Usually, I just check the weather app on my phone. But when I glanced at it this morning, it said today would be sunny," Kotomi replied.
"The weather apps are never accurate! I realized that a long time ago. My mom and I have different phone brands, and even though it's the same day, the weather reports always say different things. Her phone said sunny, mine said cloudy. Guess what the actual weather was? Rainy!" Yui said, half complaining.
Since then, she'd stopped trusting the weather apps and started watching the morning news forecasts instead. She always turned off the TV before Yuka came downstairs—otherwise, her little sister would get distracted and delay breakfast.
Once, out of sympathy, she'd allowed Yuka to eat breakfast while watching TV. That backfired completely. Before the show started, Yuka had picked up a piece of stir-fried mushroom with her chopsticks... and by the time the program ended, the mushroom was still sitting there on her chopsticks.
When they reached Yui's bedroom, Kotomi noticed how spotless everything was. The tatami mats gleamed, and there was even a vase of flowers neatly placed on the low square table in the center of the room.
Kotomi Izumi couldn't help but chuckle softly when she noticed Yui Yuigahama's little effort.
Clearly, Yui had tried to make her bedroom feel a little more romantic for Kotomi's visit.
She'd probably thought long and hard about how to make the room romantic—and in the end, the only idea she came up with was placing a vase on the low table.
Still, it had to be said—the vase and the flowers in it were actually quite beautiful.
Speaking of which, Aimi had also won a small penguin-patterned vase yesterday from a balloon-popping game. She had been so excited about it that she'd gone to a nearby flower shop just to buy a bunch of freesia to match it.
Kotomi glanced at Yui, who was standing there with a nervous yet expectant expression, waiting to hear what Kotomi would say.
Although Kotomi had visited Yui's room several times before, for some reason, this time felt different—not just for Yui, but for her as well.
Why did it feel different?
Both girls knew the answer perfectly well.
It was because they were no longer just friends. They were now lovers who shared mutual affection.
Visiting your girlfriend's bedroom—how could your heart not flutter a little?
And this was Kotomi visiting Yui's room. If it were the other way around—if Yui went to Kotomi's bedroom—she'd probably be so nervous that she couldn't even speak properly while standing at the doorway.
"These flowers are really pretty," Kotomi complimented as she sat down on Yui's bed, stretching a little. "Your bed feels so comfortable. I remember the last time I slept here—I slept like a baby."
Her words flowed naturally, almost rehearsed. After all, she'd said the same thing before—at Megumi's house, and even at Yukino's. After saying it enough times, it had become second nature.
"R-Really? I thought my bed was a bit hard... I was actually worried you wouldn't be used to it," Yui said, her cheeks turning bright red. They had only just started dating, and every compliment from Kotomi made her heart flutter with shy joy.
"Too soft a bed is what I can't get used to. I prefer one that's firm but comfortable."
Just then, the sound of heavy rain began to patter against the windows.
Yui hurried over to close them, then switched on the light.
"Good thing we didn't go to the cultural festival today," Kotomi said, glancing at the rain pouring outside. "The rain came down so suddenly. The students running stalls must be panicking right now—they probably don't even have time to pack up."
"The morning forecast said it'd rain for a few hours straight. At least half the day will stay gloomy," Yui replied as she opened a small box she'd brought up from the kitchen earlier.
Kotomi recognized it immediately—it was a box from Dango Cake Shop. Inside was a slice of pineapple cake.
"After I got home yesterday, I started making this for you," Yui said shyly. "Ever since our family's cake shop closed, I haven't baked desserts in a while. I was worried I might get rusty."
"Pineapple cake? Perfect! I've been craving your pineapple cake lately—it's like the heavens heard me! Love you~" Kotomi said cheerfully, standing up and sitting down beside Yui.
"If you like it that much, I can make it for you anytime," Yui said softly, smiling with a mix of bashfulness and joy.
For Yui, sharing a slice of cake with Kotomi in her room like this felt like the happiest moment in the world.
But... I want to give Kotomi even more moments like this—happier ones, Yui thought to herself.
Ever since Kotomi had accepted her confession, the insecurity in Yui's heart had started to fade. She realized that Kotomi was a proud girl, and as her girlfriend, being too self-deprecating would only make her seem unworthy of her.
Outside, the rain fell harder and harder.
It didn't seem like it would stop anytime soon.
At first, Kotomi and Yui chatted casually while eating cake. But gradually, they fell silent—not because they ran out of things to say, but because there were too many things they wanted to say, and neither knew where to begin.
As Kotomi quietly ate her cake, her gaze lingered on Yui Yuigahama's flawless side profile. After a moment, her eyes drifted lower—to the smooth, pale curve of Yui's neck.
When Kotomi finished the last piece of pineapple from her slice, she gently reached out and rested her hand on Yui's shoulder.
Yui turned to look at her. Her clear, gentle eyes shimmered like still water—pure and soft—contrasting sharply with the deep, mysterious light in Kotomi's gaze.
"Yui," Kotomi said softly.
That single call—perhaps it was the beginning of everything.
"What is it?" Yui asked, tilting her head slightly in innocent curiosity, like a small, unguarded animal.
Kotomi leaned forward, resting her head gently against Yui's chest. The sudden closeness made Yui's cheeks flush even deeper. Kotomi's voice was low, delicate, and tender as she murmured:
"I want to hear... your heartbeat."
"C-Can you... hear it?"
"I can... just not very clearly..."
Kotomi's words were like a flickering spark that made Yui's whole body grow warmer. Her voice trembled softly as she asked:
"Then... what should I do... to make you hear it better?"
Kotomi lifted her head, her eyes locking onto Yui's. A faint smile curved her lips.
How could she hear that heartbeat more clearly?
Kotomi didn't say the answer—but Yui, seeing the look in her eyes, began to understand.
Unlike the time of her confession, this time it was Kotomi who took the initiative. She leaned forward and kissed Yui Yuigahama.
Outside, the rain continued to fall.
But inside, the air was warm.
The clothes strewn carelessly across the floor looked like petals scattered amid a curtain of rain.
"Yui... your cheeks, your hands, even your ears... they're a little cold," Kotomi whispered.
"Maybe... it's because of the rain," Yui murmured faintly.
"Hehe... don't be nervous. I'm right here, in front of you," Kotomi said softly, her tender voice carrying easily through the sound of the rain.
"Kotomi~" Yui breathed out her name, trembling slightly.
"I'm here," Kotomi replied with a gentle smile.
"I... I love you so much!" Yui confessed, her voice filled with courage and pure emotion.
"I love you too," Kotomi said, smiling—then stopped replying with words altogether.
In that moment, Kotomi Izumi entrusted everything precious she had to Yui Yuigahama.
And just the same... Yui Yuigahama gave everything dearest to her—to Kotomi Izumi.
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